In merchandising certain products, it is frequently desirable to include with the package being sold a sample of the same or another product. The sample may be used independently of or in conjunction with the product being sold and may be a variation of the product being sold. For example, if the product being sold contains a food product having a specific flavor, e.g., chocolate, the sample could be a vanilla flavored sample of the same product. This allows the merchandiser to target and distribute a sample to a purchaser who has already shown a high interest in that type of product and increases the chances that the sample will be distributed to a future purchaser of the sample. It is well known that under modern merchandising conditions the ability of a package to thus attract attention is frequently an important factor in determining whether or not a sale is made.
To be successful, the merchandising package, the product being sold, and the sample being distributed must be visible to the purchaser and attractively displayed so that the purchaser's attention is attracted and held. It is also desirable that the merchandising package be inexpensive and easily manufactured and compact and light so that it is easily and inexpensively stored and transported. It is also desirable that the merchandising package be quickly, easily, and inexpensively attached to both the product to be sold and the sample to be distributed either at the point of manufacture or at the retail point of sale. In addition, the sample should be securely retained within the merchandising package until the consumer removes it so that the sample is not easily lost or damaged.
Conventional methods of distributing samples with a product to be sold often involve attaching a sample to a product by taping, gluing or stapling the sample (or a bag containing the sample) to the product either at the point of shipment or at the retail store where the product will be sold. Another conventional method is to simply place the sample in proximity to the product, e.g., by placing it on the shelf next to the product or in a bin near the product. Some of the many shortcomings of these conventional methods are that they often are expensive, labor intensive, create a non-uniform shape making it difficult to box and ship the product once the sample has been attached, expose the sample to damage or loss, and result in a sloppy and unattractive display.